ARTICLES
Family Affair
by Rick Clark

I would like everybody to know I have a new fishing and hunting buddy. His name is Brody Austin Clark. It will be about four or five years before we spend much time in the field together. I’ve fished marlin and shark baits bigger than him. In fact two weeks before he was born, I caught a bass bigger than him. He is my best trophy yet - my grandson. Carol and I are so proud of Cristal and Brannon - the new parents. I’m so looking forward to the times we will spend together.

Since my son has been so busy we didn’t get to hunt together enough this year. He did manage to take a buck on our new lease opening morning. It makes me proud when he makes a difficult shot on one knee while sneaking across a clear cut.
My favorite wife Carol kept her one shot - one animal reputation intact with a doe for our freezer.

Next came a trip to Llano, Texas on the LO Ranch. Llano County claims to have more deer per square mile than anywhere else. You can believe it ‘cause it’s a fun hunt. You always see deer. Carol went with me and 4 other men for a 3 day hunt.
Carol passed on several small bucks and took two does for the pot. She saw two nice shooters but couldn’t get a clear shot. I didn’t see anything I wanted to shoot, but had to try out my new rifle in the last hour of the last day. I downed a small buck at over 300 yards. Even though we didn’t get the bucks we went for, we had more fun than anyone could ask for. It was worth the trip for me to see my wife helping the guys skin and dress hogs and deer. She doesn’t help me if she can get out of it. In three days six of us took nine deer and five hogs.

I hope you duck hunters did better than I did this season. I got my license and stamp for the sum of $190 and shot one duck. My buddy was going to call when the ducks came down, but he never did. Sure, I talked to him, but the ducks never showed. After the season I went redfishing in the same marsh. Would you believe ducks were everywhere, and I only caught one redfish? What a lucky guy.

January took me to my favorite hunting spot, the south Texas brush. The Casa Pobre Ranch in Frio County has provided a lot of fond memories for me. This year proved no different.
I was with Patrick Swanner, one of my favorite hunting buddies, on the last day of our hunt. It was getting late morning with an unusual fog still hanging thick. The deer activity was pretty much over. Rattling horns came to mind and Pat agreed it was a good idea. So out the window of the box I went up to my waist with the horns. I beat horns together for about two minutes or more, until I was exhausted. Now I’ve called in a few bucks with horns before. They usually sneak in or passed by looking. When I looked north of our blind here came a buck charging with fire in his eyes. It upset and excited me so much I hung the rifle up in the window. Pat is hollering “shoot, shoot” as he ran almost under our stand. The racket I created with the rifle stopped him and down he went. Even though I had passed up five other bucks bigger that week, this was a hoot. He was a tall 120 class 8 point. I was tickled.
The day before I had glassed a good buck but couldn’t get a shot. My buddy Al took him in the same stand, same scenario on the last day. He was a 150 class 12 point.
By the way, I killed the biggest male bobcat I’ve ever seen. I also took two meat hogs with one shot on video.

So it’s back to Alabama for the rut in Lowndes County. I finally managed to take a fair 7 point with a couple of broken tines.
The month of February was devoted to too much work, not even time to bird hunt. But the first week of March finds Carol and me with dear friends Allen and Lou Estay in Austin, Texas. We went to visit our friends Verlin and Jo Nell Callahan. Thanks to Verlin we made a side trip to a private ranch outside Austin for Blackbuck.

This was to be Carol’s hunt, so in less than an hour she was finished by taking an SCI Record Book Blackbuck Antelope. They were everywhere. Now I was asked if I wanted one also. Since he twisted my arm - O.K. Before noon I had connected with a nice one. Then it was Al’s turn. So we left with three nice Blackbucks, all of which will make SCI Record Book. I will have to admit Carol’s buck was the best and probably the longest shot. We guessed 250 yards.

Now we come to my time of the year - spring turkey season. No doubt I’m a bonafide turkey hunting fanatic. This is not a condition that gets better with time. After over a quarter of a century I love it more than ever. My hunting in Alabama didn’t fare so well. Oh I called to and saw birds every time I went. I was successful in the hunting, not so in the killing. I called in several Toms, but couldn’t connect. I finally got a two year old before the end of our season.
April 2 finds me headed to south Texas again. This time with Richard Cribbs, Joe Estay and Allen Estay. I brought my luck from Alabama with me. In the first three days Richard and Allen took a bird, Joe took his limit of four and I couldn’t take a bird from a grocery store.
On day four while calling to a gobbler and hens I was startled by a gobble to my left. Cutting my eyes to the left, fifteen steps away was a two year old Tom that came out of nowhere. I should say I harvested this Tom, but I hate the word harvest. You harvest corn, not turkey. I got him.

Day five was mine. In the first hour I downed a three year old gobbler when I made the lead hen mad and called her in. Three hours before roost time I called in another three year old, gobbling his guts out. More than one in one day is legal in Texas, if you have the tags.
With one tag left we headed to the Red Ranch south of Carizzo Springs. Our hosts Verlin Callahan and Billy Fred Platte provided us with a wonderful hunt, fine Texas food and nightly entertainment around the campfire.
There were fifteen men in camp including Tom Henry our favorite bear guide from Ontario, Canada. Some were hog hunting, some after javelina, some fishing and some turkey hunting.

One morning on the way back to the truck, I saw a gang of hogs in a sendero. I replaced the turkey loads with buckshot and began a stalk. Meanwhile Joe Estay was watching from the truck. At thirty yards I picked out a fat sow and shot it in the head. Down she went and here comes Joe in the truck. After discussing the morning hunt (about 10 minutes) I unloaded the gun to field dress the hog. I had my back to the hog when Joe calmly said, “look out”. The hog jumped up and ran through a barbed wire fence. I threw a buckshot back in the gun and shot again. Stunned, the hog stopped. As I loaded my last round it took off again so I gave it a Texas heart shot right in the rump. We never found it even after bringing back Verlin’s lab to track for us. I did get another hog the next day although not as eventful or exciting.

I did get to use my last turkey tag on the last afternoon. After moving on a gobbler four times and getting between him and his hens, I called up a nice four year old within ten steps.
The gang at the Red Ranch took more rattlesnakes than game. Our total was seven snakes, two trophy boars, seven meat hogs and one gobbler.
I’m so looking forward to the day I can take my grandson, Brody, to see and experience the successes and failures of the outdoors.

Thank you, Brannon and Cristal.